Bunion!! - Texas ASL

BUNION!!
One of the other Newsletters of the Texas ASL Club
April 1, 2012
Another “Serious Issue” with issues
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Bunion!!
In this Issue
Klink's Korner
2
If Randle Narrated ASL
2
Fake Scenario Titles
2
You know you've been playing too much ASL when... 3
Quiz: Japanese Vehicle or Random Onomatopeoia? 3
New Product Rumor: Armies of Indifference
3
And also not new from MMP!
4
ASL Haiku
4
Playing Piece Profile: Burning Building Counter
4
More Fake Scenario Titles
5
ASL Sing-a-Long
6
Fake Ladder Results
6
Scenario: Infantry as Engineers
7
Scenario: Custer’s Muster
8
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One of the other newsletters of the Texas ASL Club
April 1, 2012
whatsoever. What’s that a Maus, oh that’s nasty. Oooh
look, its chasing things, and burning them. Badger don’t
care.
Fake Scenario Titles
O Little Town of Stalingrad
Fausts of Fury
That Old Flak Magic
Pak and Flak
Bitche Slapped
Let Me Stand Next To Your Tiger
Bitche Where My Money
Hunters From the Sty
Klink's Korner
Ode to Foy
As we delve into the more irrelevant side of ASL, the staff
of Bunion!! has come up with some gems on the lighter
side to help break the tension during over that next
sceanrio. Remember, IJADG! (It’s Just a Damn Game!).
Legends of the Kall
Sitting DUKWs
No Parking: Fire Lane
Taking the Brick Sh*thouse
StuG on You
If Randle Narrated ASL
Scratching Post
Picking Hube's Pocket
Vatutin's Snappy Comeback
Merzenhausen Casino and Resort
Pinching the Loaf
Who'll Stop the Rate
Acts of Deviance
Olboeter's Escape From Derna to Wiltz
Climax Under Nijmegen Bridge
Ghost of Napoleon Dynamite
This, is the Badger. Watch it roll in slow motion. Its pretty
badass, look. Whoa, 'watch out!' says that Fallschirmjager.
The Badger is the most fearless tank of all, it really doesn’t
give a shit. Eww, what’s that in its sights? Is that a Panther?
Oh, is that a Tiger? Oh, it runs backwards? It’s a double
small moving target? Ooooh. Now watch this, infantry are
in a pillbox. Badger don’t care. Badger don’t give a shit, it
just takes what it wants. Oh, and it kills tanks too? Oh my
God, that’s gross. Watch it burn them. The Badger is really
pretty badass. It has no regard for any other vehicle
April 1, 2012
Another Thai Raid
The Army at the Edge of the Table
HEAT of the Moment
Oh No You Dinant
The Finnish Line
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Bunion!!
You know you've been playing too much
ASL when...
..certain numbers begin to have an illogical importance. At
work the other week, I found out that my assigned vehicle
number ended with the three digits, 468. I was really
jazzed. Upon finding my assigned vehicle for the day, I
found out that it had the last three digits of 436. I was kind
of bummed out. Some things start to be funny only to those
of us in the know. My wife and I were watching TV and
there was a Russian woman named Katyusha. I started
snickering, and she asked me what was so funny. "It's a
Russian rocket launcher." She looked at me like I was nuts.
It was still funny.
One of the other newsletters of the Texas ASL Club
April 1, 2012
this not-awaited module of the neutral minors of World
War 2, enthusiasts of the genre will be able to explore all
sorts of exciting non-actions, putting you in the shoes of
your historical counterparts. Here's just a sampling:
Bern Notice: While on leave in Bern, you Swiss troops
notice how beautiful it is. It is especially nice not being
shot at. Can you enjoy the peace and quiet?
You Go Uruguay, and I'll Go Mine: Neutral until the war
was nearly over, Uruguay declared a 500-km exclusion
zone from its coast. Nevertheless the Graf Spee sought
shelter in Montevideo as a neutral port. Can you order the
battleship out of port?
Yemen and Hawing: Out here at the edge of the world, do
you have what it takes to stay out of the war?
Quiz: Japanese Vehicle or Random
Onomatopeoia?
Ha-Go
Chi-Apet
Chi-Ha
Ha-Ha
Ka-Ching
Ka-Pow
Go-Go
Te-Ki
Hee-Hee
Ka-runch
Hoo-ray
Chi-ro
New Product Rumor: Armies of
Indifference
The ASL game system is rich and diverse, allowing
hobbyists to recreate nearly any tactical action between any
belligerents that took place during World War 2, but also
capable of covering any action in the period from the
Spanish Civil War through the Korean War. But what
about the those countries that valiantly stood on the
sidelines, bravely refusing to take sides as the fate of the
world was decided? No study of this era could be complete
without accounting for the Armies of Indifference. With
April 1, 2012
Model/photo courtesy of Tony Barton
Way to Commit, Guys: March 27, 1945. Argentina
declares war on Germany. Little more than a month later,
Germany collapses and surrenders. Cause and effect? You
decide.
Acts of Diffidence: You might get around to playing this
one someday. Maybe after gaining a bit more experience.
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3
Bunion!!
Irish You Were Here: Newly independent from the
British, the Irish had no great desire to join them in their
fight against the Axis. Each player will face gut-wrenching
decisions in this one, such as what kind of ale to order at the
pub this evening: Guinness or maybe Guinness?
Art Voles: As a curator at a Swiss art collection, this is a
busy time. Lots of prized masterpieces keep showing up
from all over Europe. Can you organize them, and track
their lineage carefully so that their rightful owners or their
heirs can claim them after the war?
Innuendo in Urende: Although the Fascists won the
Spanish Civil War, they wanted no part of the new
conflagration engulfing the rest of the continent. In the
town of Urende, a group of men trade ribald anecdotes. Can
you tell the best joke?
Along with these other great scenarios…
One of the other newsletters of the Texas ASL Club
April 1, 2012
A Victory Approved
A Victory Re-fried
A Victory Garden
A Victory Lap
A Victory Dance
A Victory Snatched...
ASL Haiku
Spitting lead and death
The Nippon MMG malfs!
What's that? A spider?
The Spanish Indecision
Playing Piece Profile:
Burning Building Counter
Chicken and Waffles
Swiss Miss (the Entire War)
Lethargy in Lichtenstein
The Irish Decide Not to Fight
Bunion: Tell us a little bit about your gaming background.
How long have you been gaming?
Anti-Warra in Andorra
The Mexicans Stand Off
Not-so-Doomed Battalions
Streets of Relative Calm
Armies of Waiting
Regiments in Repose
And also not new from MMP!
We know about those classic MMP releases A Victory
Denied and A Victory Lost. Well, we’re waiting for these
soon-to-be-classics…
A Victory of Sorts
A Victory Implied
A Victory in Toto
A Victory Sauce
A Victory Parade
A Victory Imbibed
A Victory Tossed
A Victory Indeed
April 1, 2012
BBC: My gaming career started way back in Squad Leader.
In the original game, the eventual introduction of
flamethrowers and large explosive attacks resulted in the
inclusion of my associates and myself. The first scenarios
were set in Stalingrad, and most of the terrain consisted of
buildings. When the Germans introduced flamethrowers
and demolition charges into the fighting, it was off to the
races. Some players with these weapons would set my
friends and I out with the countermix as a psychological
edge to intimidate their opponents. Then Cross of Iron came
out, and the Fire counter was introduced. The Fire counters
were useful, but they thought that they were better than the
rest of us. They were more versatile, because if a hex was
on fire, then the Fire counters could go on the board and
cover the mission. We Burning Building counters were
used less frequently, despite the fact that we were such an
awesome artificial terrain feature. All the way up through
Anvil of Victory, Fire stole the limelight, mostly because
they were easier to find in the countermix.
Bunion: When and how did you discover ASL?
BBC: When ASL came out, the entire Squad Leader game,
except for the boards, ended up in dusty closets and dank
basements. Advanced Squad Leader was new and dynamic,
and the system instantly superceded the old system.
Burning Buildings and Fire sat in boxes side by side,
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Bunion!!
One of the other newsletters of the Texas ASL Club
April 1, 2012
forgotten in the excitement of a new trend in gaming.
Fortunately, the old guard of SL players never throw
anything away. Eventually, the closets and drawers were
opened, and the Burning Buildings and Fires were rescued
from an eternity of obscurity. When we saw some of the
new playing boards, we understood our reprieve. Red
Barricades had a HUGE map, and it was mostly buildings
and rubble. Some of the new geomorphic maps had grain
features that were ten hexes across, and woods that
stretched across the board in both directions. Burning
Buildings and Fire kissed and made up. We were needed
again. Blaze/Flame needed help, and we would work as a
team from then on.
waiting out long stretches where there are no scenarios in
which there are any buildings at all. Don’t get me wrong; I
understand my place as a utility counter. But if there are
buildings on the board, and the players are going to fight
over them, I want a shot at stardom on the board.
Bunion: What nationality do you enjoy playing the most?
Bunion: What’s your favorite game piece in ASL and
why?
BBC: I like the Americans. They have lots of
flamethrowers, and their ordnance sometimes fires white
phosphorus. I especially like the USMC. They have the
most flamethrowers of all. Huts are fun; they go right up.
Bunion: What are you most looking forward to with regard
to ASL?
BBC: I always look forward to the historical modules. The
big city fights like Valor of the Guards are like food and
drink to my friends and I.
BBC: That one is easy. The Churchill Crocodile. Hands
down.
Bunion: What was your funniest ASL moment?
Bunion: Describe your favorite kind of scenario. What
kind of scenario do you find less enjoyable?
BBC: My favorite kind of scenario is city and village fights
where the EC are dry. I especially like the battles of
Stalingrad and Berlin. There are lots of big buildings and
the combatants are using flamethrowers and tossing around
big HE attacks. My least favorite scenarios are set in the
desert, where there are no buildings or anything at all that
will burn. I also tend to dislike PTO scenarios, because
there are few buildings and the EC are usually moist. There
are exceptions, of course. Extreme Winter scenarios are a
huge bore most of the time as well.
Bunion: What would you say are your ASL strengths and
weaknesses?
BBC: Large wooden buildings are my favorite.
Flame/Blaze starts out and spreads quickly. Then, as the
hexes become fully involved, the Burning Building
counters take over, because the F/B counters are needed
elsewhere. Stone buildings, especially fortified ones are my
weakness. They don’t catch very quickly, and they usually
have infantry that fights the fire.
BBC: It was during a game called Abram’s Charge set in
Singling, Lorraine. The scenario starts with a flame in one
of the buildings. I was all jazzed up to take my place on
board. On the very first Rally Phase, the player rolled a 2
and the flame went out. I was kind of depressed, but it was
funny anyway.
Bunion: Is there an area you think is under-represented in
ASL?
BBC: I would like to see a campaign game concerning the
German retreat to the Dneiper River in the fall of 1943. The
Germans were under orders to destroy anything useful to
the advancing Russians, and they set fire to absolutely
everything on the way. That would be my idea of gaming.
More Fake Scenario Titles
Mea Cupola
Turret Syndrome
Hepcats at Play
One in a Long Series of Bids
Bunion: What is the best part of ASL, and what is the
worst?
Sugar Ray Shuffle
BBC: The best part of ASL is having a new lease on life.
We were forgotten for a long time, and it is nice to be back
in the countermix where we belong. The worst part is
Undistinguished Service
April 1, 2012
The Commissar’s Condo
The Grain Escalator
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Bunion!!
The Leningrad of Stalingrad of Kursk
The Rostov of Dieppe
The Smolensk of Manila
Baptism of Lukewarm Water
Middle of the Barrel
Meekly Contested Town
Repulsed (not to mention Revolted)
Speed, Shock, and Surprise (and a fanatical devotion to
the Pope)
Katukov Queries the Tables
3 of Clubs in the Hole
Acts of Compliance
A Bridge Just the Right Distance Away
Maczek Y. M. C. A.
ASL Sing-a-Long
[With special thanks to Roger Foss and Dennis Donovan]
Raise that dice glass, follow the bouncing die, and join us
now in this rousing little number.
One of the other newsletters of the Texas ASL Club
April 1, 2012
GS on Shermans and Shurtzen on Panthers
Flame-throwing Cromwells and AA on Panzers
Living the chaos that Sniper checks bring
These are my favorite ASL things
Chapters and chapters of tables and rules
The ultimate wargame goes way beyond kewl
Just like those fighters with bombs under wing
And reading to see what those SSRs bring
Rural or Urban, cross streets in quick dashes
When playing night rules remember gun flashes
Winter offensives that last throughout spring
These are my favorite ASL things
When my squad breaks
When my luck stinks
When I’m rolling bad
I simply remember those ASL things
And then I don’t feel
So bad
Fake Ladder Results
Housewife def Salesman in Slamming of the Door
Bugs Bunny def Yosemite Sam in Sound Retreat
Jingles def Presto in A Good Party
My Favorite (ASL) Things
Mice def Men in Best Laid Plans
Half-Squads and DCs and Human Wave Charges
Minefields and Wire and Rolling Barrages
Those cool Russian tanks in Awakening of Spring
These are my favorite ASL things
Pi def r in To the Square
Fifty-cal MGs and Fanatic Germans
Flamethrowers, PFaust, and Firefly Shermans
The smile to my face that a snake eyes' roll brings
These are my favorite ASL things
Dog def Cat in Age Old Foes
Playing with Parachutes, landing in Gliders
Killing a tank and then killing its Riders
Playing the Russians when playing The Ring
These are my favorite ASL things
When my squad breaks
When my guns malf
When I'm rolling bad
I simply remember those ASL things
And then I don't feel
So bad
April 1, 2012
Van Helsing def Tepes in Blood Enemies
Dorothy def Witch in Funnel of Death
Kurt Kobain def Jerry Garcia in Fighting Withdrawal
Carolina def Buccaneers in Big Cats at Bay
Bob Hope def Bing Crosby in The Road to Mandalay
Doug def Dinsdale in The Hedgehog of Piepsk
Gravity def Single Malt in Scottish Nightmare
Buttercrust def Mrs. Baird in Bread Factory #2
Green Giant def Birdseye in Cream of the Crop
Hunt's def Heinz in Red Packets
Consensus def Pluto in Bridge of the Seven Planets
Butch def Alfalfa in Bloody Nose
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SCENARIO JFL 5 (Version 1.0)
INFANTRY AS ENGINEERS
THE RAATE ROAD, FINLAND, JANUARY 1940: After exhaustive fighting during the
winter of 1939-40, the Russians have finally forced the resolute Finns back to the Mannerheim
line and out of the forest and lake region. The roads, however, are still heavily mined and
subject to attacks by skilled and ruthless Finnish raiding parties. Supplies still need to be brought
up as well. The commissar for the region is inspecting the line and needs the road to be usable
in order to reach the front. He does not expect to get out of his car or have to wait. The engineers
are needed at the front and the only available personnel to clear the road are raw recruits. The
commissar does not care how it is done; the road needs to be cleared by the time he arrives.
Mines and Wire may be placed
on Path hexes.
Fortifications are not HIP;
minefields are Known.
N
34
BALANCE:
➤
BOARD CONFIGURATION:
(Only hexrows A-P are playable)
Victory Conditions: The Russian commisar must exit the north edge before game end.
TURN RECORD CHART
FINNS Set UpFirst
1 2 3 4 5 6
RUSSIANS Move First
END
Finnish Fortifications [ELR: N/A] Set up HIP on road hexes from 34C6 to 34P5: {SAN: 7}
4
4
24
Factors
Road Clearance Detail [ELR: 1] set up on/adjacent to hex 34A5: {SAN: 0}
Commissar and NKVD escort [ELR: 5] enter on hex 34A5 on Turn 6.
16
2
4
Scenario Design: Dan Preston
Special Rules:
AFTERMATH: The raw Russian conscripts did their best to make the road passable for the
1. Weather is Ground Snow and no wind at start. Extreme Winter (E3.74) is in effect. The road
is plowed.
2. Finnish minefields are 6 factors each. The Finns have Booby Trap level A on board 34.
commissar’s passing. The road was littered with mines and other fortifications, and Finnish
snipers kept infiltrating to the flanks, taking a heavy toll on the working parties, then fading
away before infantry patrols could flush them out. In the end, the commissar’s car raced past
the exhausted levies and dead and wounded alongside the road. The commissar made his
appointment, but never looked back.
CUSTER’S MUSTER
SCENARIO JFL 6 (Version 1.0)
LITTLE BIG HORN RIVER, 25 June 1876: Lt. Colonel Custer’s campaign against the
combined native forces of the warriors of numerous tribes reached its culmination on June
25th, 1876. Despite indications of a huge buildup of opposing forces, Custer and his command
rode westward along the north bank of the Little Big Horn river, with Captain Benteen and
Major Reno following. His intention was to cross the river and attack the encampment from the
north, with the other two elements to close in from the southeast to complete the encirclement.
31
➤
29
BOARD CONFIGURATION:
Hi7
28
N
Victory Conditions: The 7th Cavalry wins by having any surviving units at game end.
TURN RECORD CHART
U.S. Sets Up First
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
NATIVE Moves First
END
Elements of 7th Cavalry Regiment [ELR: 4] set up dismounted anywhere on overlay: {SAN: 0}
24
2
24
Task Group Crazy Horse [ELR: 5] enter on any north and/or west board edge hex(es) on Turn 1: {SAN: 0}
9
20
11
Task Group Gall [ELR: 5] enter on any east board edge hex(es) on Turn 1: {SAN: 0}
17
2
23
2
40
Task Group Lame White Man [ELR: 5] enter on any south board edge hex(es) on Turn 1: {SAN: 0}
19
21
2
2
2
40
Scenario Design: Dan Preston
Special Rules:
AFTERMATH: Custer and his command rode straight into the jaws of Sitting Bull’s trap.
1. Weather is Clear with Dry EC and no wind at start. Steppe Terrain is in effect (EXC: all
woods are brush). Place overlay Hi7 on hexes 31V7/U8. Entrenching is NA. Use of smoke is
NA.
2. Use Russian counters to represent Native units. Native units are Stealthy. Native units go
Hand-to-Hand as if Japanese, and are awarded a -1 bonus to their CC attacks. No Quarter is in
effect. Commisars represent the senior Native leaders and function as pre-1942 Russian
commissars (EXC: broken units that fail to rally are simply treated as broken).
The native cavalry not only hugely outnumbered the overconfident Custer, but their repeating
rifles gave them a tremendous edge in firepower. Major Reno and Captain Benteen were held
off to the southeast of the native encampment, and finally fought their way out of the ambush
with the native cavalry hot on their heels. This retreating force finally formed a hedgehog to the
southeast on high ground with the pack trains. Custer was not so lucky. His command was
completely wiped out.
Bunion!!
The Bunion!! Staff
Founder and Editor
Emeritus
Managing Editor and
Keeper of the Game
Tracker
Editor in Chief and Copy
Editor
Contributing Authors
Publishing Schedule
Club Information
Club Web Site
Matt Shostak
(512) 899-4560
mshostakster@gmail.com
Sam Tyson
(980) 428-4113
styson@gmail.com
Rick Reinesch
(512) 828-4451
ctasl@aol.com
Rick Reinesch, Dan Preston,
Jeff Toreki, Matt Shostak, Roger
Foss, Dennis Donovan
Whenever we feel like it!
Matt Shostak or
Rick Reinesch
www.texas-asl.com/
One of the other newsletters of the Texas ASL Club
April 1, 2012
Copyright © 2012 by the Texas ASL Club
All Rights Reserved.
You may reproduce this newsletter (in entirety only) for free
distribution. Permission to reproduce individual articles must
be obtained from the authors.
ASL and all of its components, including module names, are
copyrighted and trademarked by Hasbro.
Thanks to Rodney Kinney for VASL, Carl Fung for his
VASL counter images, and the VASL Map Cabals for their
VASL map images. We use a combination of VASL counter
and map images for scenario layouts with permission of use
for that purpose.
Next Issue
•
•
More lame attempts at ASL humor
And much less!
April 1, 2012
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